


make a freind, give true love's kiss, find a rival, and poison some apples. not exactly in that order, though

by Blue_Pluto



Series: keep them close [2]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Again, F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, and then turned into more of a frenimes type thing, bc its the isle, but around others they hide the fact that they love eachother, core 4 are really close and touchy w/ eachother when they're by themselves, help me please, how the core 4 and uma's rivaly started, idk how to tag :((, ig??, im fucking awful at tagging, its gay, mal saves uma's like someone else gets hurt uma helps ppl become freinds but not really, p2 of a series im trying to figure out how series work tho give me a sec if it is wrong, someone remind me to fix the tags on this at not the middle of the night please
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-10
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-13 17:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20586008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Pluto/pseuds/Blue_Pluto
Summary: Saving someone’s life doesn't make you friends. Right?orThe story of the sea three/core four rivalry, how the isle kids got magic past the barrier, and true love’s kiss(es).





	1. rivalries start, machines are designed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet hewwo im back! Starts a bit b4 keep ur promises chap 1, but has a scene directly after chap 1 and continues to after chap 2 in the next two chapters of this story. It’ll make sense when u read it i promise ty for reading ily 
> 
> (oh also Carlos still looks like Cameron still btw. The reason that i state that is basically bc i mention a dude being racist to him and I like reference skin color even though Carlos is technically white passing. Cam was actually black, he was mixed race, so Carlos is too even if he’s white passing. I loved Camron and part of the reason i write descendants fanfic was to honor him, may his memory be a blessing. See endnotes for a better explanation bc i don’t want this to be a mile long lol)

“Hey, de Vil!” Gil shouted from down the road, grinning and waving. Carlos glared at him, motioning with a hand slashing in front of his neck for Gil to _ shut the fuck up_. His mother was sleeping right now, and it wouldn't end well for anyone if Gil woke her. 

The blond’s grin turned a bit sheepish, walking into the yard of Hell Hall where Carlos was hanging washed clothing to dry. Well, as “washed” as they could be with Isle water, at least. 

“What do you want?” Carlos grumbled as Gil approached, struggling to clip the clothing while balancing a literal pitchfork. (His mother had managed to con it off someone ages ago, and required he used to defend her _ “babies”, _ lest someone try to steal them. Nevermind that he was barely ten, and the thing was almost twice his size.) 

Gil absentmindedly poked a hanging fur, unbothered by Carlos’s tone. Or the large farm tool in his hands. “Uma told me to ask about those phone things you’re supposed to make for us.” He reached out and touched the fur again, ignoring Carlos’s glare. 

Carlos scowled, turning away from the other boy. “I’m not making them.” 

Gil blinked at him, hand halting mid-pet of the fur. “What, why?” 

Carlos shrugged, leaning down to grab a shirt from the bin next to him. “Mal said I couldn't.” 

Not that he wanted to make them for Uma and her crew to begin with, but before his… _ whatever _ with Mal’s crew, he had no way to protect himself. And therefore no choice but to say yes when Uma approached him, fucking Rick Ratcliff having ratted him out to Uma after he caught Carlos stealing parts. 

(He knew Rick only hated him because he was a racist ass motherfucker just like his dad, and was pissed anyone darker than a paper bag lived in the “high end” of the Isle. This was the fucking _ Isle of the Lost_. There was no clean water, no fresh food, no medical care, and anything they did have was _ literal _ trash from Aradon. Why pretend you were better than anyone else based on something as stupid as race?) 

Also, he wasn't lying about Mal saying no. She actually did tell him not to do it, it just so happened her orders fit with what he wanted. And he wasn't about to disregard orders from the only people who had any interest in protecting him. (Especially if he didn’t know _why_ she and the others protected him.)

Gil huffed, blowing some hair out of his eyes, crossing his arms, and scowling. 

“Well Mal’s a bitch and you shouldn't listen to her. So’s the rest of her dumbass gang.” Gil said it in an off handed way that was probably meant to be convincing, almost pouting, trying to get Carlos to agree and do what he wanted. Unfortunatly, his words had the opposite effect. 

Carlos tensed, anger flaring hot and strong in his chest, jaw set. He dropped the clothes and farming tool in his hands, then spun around, decking Gil in the mouth. Gil froze in surprise, his head only pushed back by Carlos’s punch the slightest bit. But he quickly recovered, punching Carlos in the stomach and knocking him to the ground with a glower. 

“Dude_ what the fuck _?” Gil growled, glaring down at the younger boy with clenched fists. 

Carlos shot back to his feet, shoulders back and teeth bared. “Don’t insult Mal in front of me.” He hissed, glaring back at Gil, ready to fight. 

Gil sneered at him, infinitely taller with infinitely more muscle. Distantly, Carlos recognized this was an absolutely _ idiotic _ idea, but was too hyped up on adrenaline to care. 

“Don’t think I can’t beat the shit out of you.” Gil rose to his full height, puffing his chest out to look bigger, but keeping his hands by his sides. _ Oh. _

Carlos smirked, head tilting in mockery of the larger boy. “Yeah, but you won’t because then Mal and Jay will fuck you up and you’re just as scared of them as everyone else.” He leaned in closer, eyes glinting. He silently dared the other with his actions, hoping his assumption was correct and Gil would back down. 

Gil growled at him, but didn’t move. They stared at each other for a long moment, both waiting for the other to break. 

Gil turned away with a huff, cursing Carlos out under his breath as he left the yard, slamming the gate behind him. Carlos stared at Gil’s back as the boy stomped down to road, then sighed, all the fight draining from him with the blond’s exit. 

_ Gods, _ that was stupid. If he was lucky he’d be left with just the punch from Gil, but that was unlikely. VKs were protective of their own, and that meant he just painted a target on his back. 

And for practically no reason. He’d heard thousands of worse insults, calling someone a bitch was _stupidly_ tame. But when Gil said it, Carlos’s blood boiled, and he was physically unable to not defend the others, even from something so small. Kinda pathetic he was getting beat up for people who probably didn’t give a fuck about him, but he didn’t particularly care right now. 

He shot one glance at the door of his house, praying Cruella had slept through the argument, then turned back to finish the laundry. 

-=+=-

So, after about two weeks of lying low, Carlos thought he’d probably be fine to go to school to grab some old designs from his locker. 

He was wrong. 

He snuck into the school to the best of his ability, actually making it to his locker with no problem. He grabbed an old notebook, and was about to leave, when a hand fisted the back of his hair, and slammed his head into the locker next to him. 

He kicked out instinctually, struggling against the hold, but his attacker’s grip was rock solid. Carlos was flipped around, then pinned to the wall by an arm to the throat, a hook uncomfortably close to his eye. Harry smirked dangerously, a wild and angry look in his eyes, leaning in closer to Carlos.

“Don’ think you’ve got any power just because ye’ve got an arrangement now. Ye’re still the lowest on the food chain here, and once they grow tired of you, it’ll be free pickens.” Harry snarled into Carlos’s ear, holding his head straight against his struggling. Carlos kicked out against the older boy again, but Harry just laughed, releasing him and walking away. 

Carlos growled under his breath, a hand going up to his broken nose. He glared at Harry as the older boy sauntered away, leaving straight out the front door like the only reason he was here was to get at Carlos. 

Actually, that probably was the only reason he was there. Fucker. 

Carlos stomped into the bathroom, setting his nose and trying to get as much of the blood out of his clothes as he could. Which wasn’t enough, pink now staining the front of his shirt. Great. Cruella would be _ ecstatic _ about that. 

He mentally cussed out Harry as he left the school, walking to the hideout. He normally worked in his treehouse, but all the materials for his current project were in the hideout, since technically he was making phones for all four of them and not just himself. 

He knocked the secret code on the door, then waited a moment, before walking inside. The other three were still there, sitting on the couch where he left them before going to get his notebook. 

Jay whistled lowly when he saw Carlos’s face. Evie frowned, and Mal narrowed her eyes. He gave a vague hand wavy motion towards them, sitting across from them where his miscellaneous collection of parts lay. 

“The hell happened to your face?” Jay asked, his voice forcibly light, sounding almost teasing, yet still holding an edge that only Mal and Evie picked up on. 

Carlos scowled, picking up a mess of loosely connected parts that would eventually be Evie’s phone. “Hook broke my nose ‘cause I decked Gil. Dude deserved it though, and he already punched me in the stomach so Hook is just being a grade-A dick trying to add insult to injury.” 

He didn’t look up from his work, missing the dark look Jay and Mal shared. 

Evie frowned, leaning down to poke him in the shoulder. “Why’d you punch Gil? I thought you two were,” She paused, face scrunching up, not knowing what word to use. “Fine? I guess? I thought you two got along.” She settled on. 

Carlos stilled, avoiding the other’s eyes. “He was kinda saying shit about you guys. I got pissed, so…” He shrugged, eyes still carefully kept on the wiring in his hands. 

Mal’s scowl deepened. Jay looked at her, the two seeming to have a silent conversation with just their expressions. Evie eyed them from the side, sighing softly at what she knew they were planning. 

She looked down to Carlos again, gently tapping him with her foot to get his attention. “Thanks for protecting our honor, but don’t go doing stupid shit like that.”

Carlos blinked at her, then rolled his eyes, lips barely quirked into a small smile. “Yeah, whatever.” 

As if any of them were about to stop doing stupid shit to defend each other. 

-=+=-

Carlos had been spending the past week in the hideout, working on the communicators. Partly to avoid the pirates’s wrath (well, up until yesterday at least), and partly because his mother was in the middle of a fit, and it was better to stay out of her way. (He wasn't sure if she was worse when she was out of touch with reality, not knowing what she was doing, or when she hurt him with calculated anger, trying to control him.)

So, when Mal and Jay stumbled in bruised and bloody, he rightly freaked out. 

“Holy shit.” He gasped, practically throwing down what he was holding, rushing to grab the medkit as Mal helped a hobbling Jay to the couch. Mal tried to take it from him, but he just glared at her, pointing for her to sit next to Jay. She pouted, but complied, clasping a hand to her bleeding arm. 

He studied them both critically for a moment, deciphering which injuries needed to be tended to first. They both seemed to have a large collection of bruises and small cuts, though Mal had a deeper gash on her bicep and Jay had an injury on his thigh that looked suspiciously like a stab wound. 

He tossed Mal a bundled up shirt, sitting next to Jay. “Put pressure on that.” He ordered her over Jay’s shoulder, pulling the other boy’s leg onto his lap. 

Jay hissed at his wound being jostled, and Mal frowned at the boy’s pain, begrudgingly holding the cloth to her arm. 

“Sorry.” Carlos said softly, pulling out a flask. He spilled some of the liquor on Jay’s leg, then pulled out a needle and thread from the medkit. Well, it was more of a cobbled together collection of whatever medical supplies they could get their hands on, but it did the job well enough. 

“What happened?” He asked, starting on Jay’s leg. 

“Uma’s a bitch.” Mal shrugged. Carlos pursed his lips. That was not a straight answer. 

“Did she do something?” He asked, a slight edge to his voice. 

“Besides send her goons after you? Not much.” Jay laughed tightly. Mal hit his shoulder with her good arm, glaring at him. He raised an eyebrow at her in return. 

Carlos scowled, watching the exchange. “I can take care of myself.” 

Mal rolled her eyes. “Of course you can, pup. If it was just that fight with Gil, we wouldn't have done anything. But Hook went after you for revenge, even though you're under our protection.” She smirked at him, tilting her head. “Can’t have people questioning us, now can we?”

Carlos frowned, then nodded, going back to work on Jay’s leg. Complicated feelings swirled in his chest. He didn’t want the others getting hurt for him, or thinking he was useless. And he knew they only did it to protect their rep. But part of him was glad they would protect him. He knew he’d do the same for them. 

-=+=-

_ He was on fire. His lungs felt thick, smoke clogging them. He tried to breathe around it, but it hurt. The smoke was dense around him, clouding his mind and memory. There were people in the smoke, trying to push through it and get to him, trying to help. They tried to put the fire out, cold water temporarily snuffing out the flames. But it would only last so long, the flames reigniting again and again. _

_ Then, suddenly, the fire was out. It stayed _ _out. His body still felt burned, but it was a past thing now. He was no longer covered in the flames. The smoke still filled his lungs, but the air began to clear a bit. He slipped back into darkness, able to breathe at least slightly better now. _

-=+=-

Carlos blinked awake. His mind felt muddled, still fighting off the lingering strands of his sickness. He lay between two bodies, Evie beneath him and Mal above. Jay stood off to the side, keeping watch over them all. 

“Morning, pup.” Jay whispered with a small smirk, noticing Carlos was awake. Carlos gave him a sleepy wave, closing his eyes again, though not before he noticed Jay’s smile turn a bit softer. 

Carlos tried to parse out what his dream had been. Obviously he’d been really sick, and the others had been taking care of him… but then he’d gotten better all of a sudden? But how? There was no medicine on the Isle. None that they could get. 

He shifted into a half sitting position, Mal still on his chest. He poked her repeatedly, ignoring her groans. 

“Hey. Wake up.” He whispered. The girl continued to ignore him, batting his hands away. 

“Fuck off.” She mumbled, still exhausted from her use of magic the other day. There were no sounds of fighting, so no good reason that Carlos should be waking her up. 

“No.” He said, poking her again. She cracked an eyelid, glaring at him, looking like an angry kitten. He laughed softly at her, and poked her in the nose. Her head shot out, biting his finger. 

“Mal!” Carlos exclaimed, laughing and pulling his finger to wipe on his chest. It hadn't hurt. Not that Mal _ couldn't _bite with the intent to hurt (he’d seen her draw blood with her teeth) but she hadn’t actually meant to hurt him. She never tried to hurt any of them. 

Mal laughed, sitting up off him. Jay rolled his eyes off to the side, a slight smirk to his face. 

“Would you guys shut it...” Evie groaned from the bottom of their cuddle pile, still half asleep. 

Carlos and Mal fought to get their giggling under control. They were able to act like actual kids around each other, something they couldn't do near anyone else on the isle, and they reveled it in. This was the only place they could be vulnerable, act like themselves instead of putting up walls and fake personalities like armor. 

“Why’d you wake me up?” Mal pouted, leaning her head on his shoulder. Carlos frowned a bit, the way he always did when he couldn't easily find the solution to an equation. 

“I didn’t really remember all that much from the past few days, probably because I was so out of it. But I remember being really sick, and then feeling better all of a sudden. How?” The worry was clear in his voice, hoping they hadn't done something stupid. 

Mal sat up, giving him a half smile, slightly withdrawn. 

“We didn’t get meds or anything.” She bit her lip. He frowned at her, confused. 

“Then… how?” 

“She used magic.” Jay called from the corner. Mal glared at him, but he just smiled and moved to sit next to her, putting an arm over her shoulder. Even though he was trying to seem like he was just annoying her, his smile was tense, and his arm protective. 

Carlos blinked at her, eyes wide. He made a noise almost like a dying cat, though much quieter, not understanding how that was possible. He shifted into a sitting position, resting Evie’s legs over his own for space, side pressed up to Mal after Jay squeezed between her and the end of the couch.

Mal scowled at him, though with no heat behind it. “I’m not explaining why to you for the second time in two days. Too many mushy feelings will stop my heart.” She whispered aggressively, not wanting to wake the sleeping princess. 

Carlos shook his head. “I wasn't going to ask that...” He tried to play off. He obviously was. He cleared his throat, ignoring Jay’s amused look. “I was gonna ask how you did it. I thought the barrier blocked any magic.” 

Mal shrugged slightly, nose scrunching adorably as she thought how to explain. It was hard to believe the girl in front of him was the same one who’d fearlessly face off with villains four times her age. Jay grinned, poking her on the nose. She scowled, slapping his hand away before talking. 

“The barrier does stop most magic, but there's ways to get around it. Most people think it just cancels any magic, but it actually only cancels evil magic since, like, it _ is _ magic so canceling itself would be counterproductive.” She moved her hands as she spoke, gesturing with her explanation.

“Since fae magic is neutral, intent is what decides if it's good or bad, and whether or not the barrier stops it.” She paused, considering. “Actually most magic is neutral. Evil and good magic is only some really specific bullshit.” 

Carlos nodded slowly, absorbing everything she said. “Then why don’t you do magic all the time?” 

She gave him another half smile. “I need magic energy to do magic. Normally I'd be able to generate it myself, but the barrier stops that. My mother said it just absorbs any new magic the second it's created.” Jay scowled at the mention of her mother, arm tightening around her. 

Carlos scrunched his eyebrows. “So then how did you have the magic power to do that spell?” 

She gestured with her hand, leaning into Jay with a slight yawn. “Remember when the barrier flickered? I was able to get a small amount then, before it went back up.” 

“Oh.” Carlos avoided her eyes, suddenly filled with guilt. 

“C?” Mal said softly, mouth quirking down slightly as he shut down. “It’s fine. I didn’t need that magic for anything else.” 

Carlos frowned. There was a hell of a lot of other, better things that magic could have been used for. 

Jay pushed against his forehead gently, getting his attention. “Dude, if you’re feeling bad about that I’m gonna kick your ass.” 

“No- I just.” Carlos lied, trying to seem like that wasn't the case, though they obviously didn’t believe him. Then, something clicked. 

His eyes snapped to meet Mal’s, filled with excitement as he grabbed her arm. “Wait, you said when the barrier went down you could generate some magic, right?” 

“Yeah?” She said, slightly confused, sharing a quick look with Jay. 

“One sec!” He scrambled off the couch, almost pulling Evie with him, running to rifle through his mini workshop in the corner. 

Evie groaned loudly, disturbed by his movement. “Can’t a girl get her beauty rest anymore?” She complained, groggily sitting up and pouting against the end of the couch. 

“Sorry, princess.” Jay laughed, holding out a hand for her, which she took after sticking her tongue out at him. 

Carlos ran back, sitting in front of them on the ground, scribbling in a ‘notebook’. (They weren't real notebooks, not like the ones from Auradon. They were old books too rotten or water damaged to be legible that he had repurposed. He’d clean and dry them, any pages too messed up were removed, and then he’d bleach the ink smudges that used to be letters off the pages, and dye the front covers to diferencheate them.) 

“Okay.” He said definitively, once he’d finished writing down everything Mal’d already told him. “You said the barrier steals any freshly generated magic, but I'm assuming it doesn't touch anything that wasn’t generated while it was active, probably to keep it from draining itself or magic users who will die without any magic.” He rambled, mostly to himself, going over his notes. 

“Uh, yeah.” Mal agreed, still a bit sluggish and tired. 

“So what does it do with the magic it takes?” 

“It powers itself with it, and basically stockpiles it so it becomes stronger with time.” Evie said, squinting at him. “Why are we talking about the barrier?” She yawned, moving to cuddle up against Mal instead of the couch, the other girl draping an arm around her and pulling her close. 

“Reasons.” He grinned, writing that down. “What if I could take the magic back?” The three looked down at him skeptically. 

“Dude, no offense, but I don't think you’d be capable of messing with the barrier.” Jay frowned. “And I’d also rather you not get burnt to a crisp by trying to stick some metal into it.” 

“I second that.” Evie mumbled, still not fully awake, Mal humming in agreement. 

Carlos’s grin widened. “What if I told you I already did?” Mal raised both eyebrows at him, the others giving him similar looks of disbelief, Evie cracking an eye open to squint at him. 

“Explain.” 

“So you know how the barrier flickered?” They all gave some indication of acknowledgment, Evie yawning into a nod, Mal giving a curious hum, and Jay quirking an eyebrow. Carlos rubbed the back of his head, blushing, a small smile on his face. “I did that. With an invention.” 

He looked up at them, huffing a laugh at their expressions. 

“You’re shitting me.” Jay said, wide eyed, removing his arm from Mal’s shoulder to lean forward. Carlos laughed again, nodding his head. 

“That's incredible!” Evie sat up, leaning forward to take his hand, exhaustion gone in her excitement. 

“Yeah.” Mal agreed, shocked. 

“Thanks.” Carlos laughed again, blushing harder. His smile went crooked, not wanting to dash their hopes. “I can’t bring it down for more than a second or two, and I probably shouldn't do it again because Auradon will definitely notice.” The others deflated slightly. 

“Of course, the only time they pay attention to us is when they’re scared they'll have to deal with us.” Jay said bitterly, leaning back against the couch. Mal took his hand, squeezing it gently. 

“Yeah.” Carlos cringed, then shook himself, gesturing to his notebook. “But, if I can modify the machine, maybe I can just drain magic from the barrier instead.” He beamed at the others, watching them catch on to what he was saying. “Which we can_ use_. And maybe if we make it weak enough, we could eventually make a hole and escape.” They sat frozen, breathless at the thought. They could _ escape_. They could be _ free_. 

Carlos beamed at them, his excitement growing as they realized what was possible. “I might need some magic to help me though, think you could give me a hand?” He looked at Mal, his smile falling when she averted her gaze, sobering again. 

“I can’t really do magic without a spell.” He looked at her, his eyebrows scrunching and head tilting in confusion. She glanced at him for a second, then sighed. “I had to steal my mom’s spell book, but once she finds out…” She shrugged. He nodded slowly, feeling guilt curl in his stomach like a punch to the gut. 

“Fuck, Mal.” He sighed, putting his face in his hands. 

She scowled at him. “Chill out. If you go all kicked puppy on me I’ll dump a thing of sludge on Kez, then he won’t sneak you parts anymore.” 

He looked up, frowning at her, and flipped her off. She laughed, but it was tight. Evie forced a giggle too, placing her head on Mal's, and Jay replaced his arm over Mal's shoulder, holding her protectively. Carlos shook his head, forcing a smile, moving to squeeze between Evie and the side of the couch. He looked sideways at Mal, settling where he sat. 

“I can copy it for you? While we still have it?” 

She gave him another half smile. “Thanks C.” He nodded, trying not to let the guilt overtake him. Evie squeezed his hand gently, and Jay jumped into some sort of story about his little cousin. Mal seemed thankful, relaxing as the attention was off her. Carlos took a breath, leaning his head on Evie's shoulder, listing to Jay and Mal banter. 

They were okay, for right now at least, caught up in each other's arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dshshdjfdskjf i probably need to edit this more but i wanted to get it out so sry if the writing isnt great…. Hopefully i’ll have the next part out soon…. Also i feel like i’m focusing too much on carlos x mal??? Sorry?? I have more focus on the other ships within the like bigger ship planned i promise its just bc this was a straight up continuation of the first one which was kinda carlos x mal focused but i promise there’ll be good mevie/jaylos/whatever-other-ships-i-just-know-those-are-popular content soon, like in the next two chaps soon
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!!!! Please comment comments make me so so happy please…. Also they help motivate me to put out new chapters/fics :P
> 
> Btw im on tumblr @idk-my-aesthetic come say hi! Or commission me if u want to pleas im poor lol
> 
> (Also explanation for the race thing. Basically irl camron boyce was mixed black and white passing jew. I'm like a person who’s always like if someone is played by a minority that character is that minority too, plus cruella is black in the movies which makes it canon either way lol. I actually don’t like having her black bc like i love descendents but they have a tendency to villainize black women, which is kinda a problem. So in this universe she’s white and based of the og movie design and Carlos's dad is black. I may or may not include him down the line idk rn, probably not tbh, i know that i’m possibly gonna give C magic bc im giving it to all the other core 4, so i’m still trying to figure all that out lol. Send me an ask or comment sorry i really have no idea if this is coherent or not)
> 
> Literally y are all my notes horrifically rambly. And why does everything i write w/ these 4 end up w/ them cuddling on the couch together?? im sorry yall ajsdjsdsjd


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> technically speaking this chapter is only half done but like i have executive disfunction and want ppl to like the stuff i write. also i needed to establish smthn in the first half of this chap b4 i could post chapter 2 of ffs yall so.....

It took a few months, but Carlos eventually got his machine working. It would hook up to the barrier, and could only take tiny amounts of magic at a time, but it had batteries to store the magic energy it caught that they could pull from easily. It was slow going, but they had _ magic _, and anything that could help them on this godforsaken isle was a godsend. 

Carlos also copied over her mother’s spellbook like he promised, much faster than Mal had expected him too. The book seemed small, but held a lot more knowledge than what was on the surface. They’d also managed to snag EQ’s old spell and potion books, which she hadn't cared about in years, so Evie was able to upgrade herself from her mother’s handmade makeup and beauty treatments to basic potions. 

Jay stayed far away from them and the machine for obvious reasons. (They still hadn't told C about the whole djinn thing. It was a process.) 

And Carlos made a point not to touch the batteries more than he had to, claiming that pure magic must not have been good for mortals. (Mal was pretty sure it shouldn’t have any effect on him, that he couldn't draw any out unless he could wield it, but he seemed pretty adamant about it.) 

The only other big thing going on in their lives was their ongoing feud with Uma and her crew. The sea witch should have left it at the first fight between Carlos and Gil, but her side escalated it, and kept doing so. They’d been even before, but the pirates were such petty idiots that they thought it was a good idea to send one of their goons to dump fish guts on Evie, as if Mal wasn't going to retaliate. 

Mal wasn't going to deny she was possessive, she was a villain after all. Being jealous, possessive, immoral, etc, was their whole thing. Everyone on the Isle was possessive. The few possessions you had were _ yours _, and if someone tried to take them, you cut that person. Her possessiveness was just… of people. So if you messed with her crew, you got cut. 

She was definitely _ possessive _ , but she did her best not to be _ controlling _. She knew what it was like to have someone control you under pretenses of “protection”, and she refused to do that to anyone else. She tried to let the others fight their own battles and make their own decisions, no matter how much she wanted to sock Third after he catcalled Evie or push Anthony Tremaine down the stairs for messing with Jay. And as protective as she was over Carlos, the smallest and most vulnerable of their group, he and the others could take care of themselves, so she let him deal with it when Rick Radciff started yelling slurs. (Seeing Carlos kick him in the dick was also a plus). 

Sure, she got involved with that whole mess with Uma, but there was a difference between fight stealing and letting shit like that slide. The two had already been even, she wouldn't have pursued it if Uma hadn't tried to get some extra kicks in and questioned Mal’s authority. If she told people to lay the fuck off someone, you _ fucking layed off _. 

So, yeah. Mal did her best to let the others do what they wanted, and not to fight their battles or make choices for them. Protect them when they needed it, not jump in front of a spear they already dodged. 

“Yeah, no.” Mal scowled, crossing her arms. 

Except when they were being _ absolute fucking idiots _. 

Evie scowled at her from across the circle. She’d insisted the four sit on the ground so they could see each other, rather than on the couch where they’d have to crane their necks to look over at one another. 

“Why not?” 

“I feel like I shouldn't have to explain why I won’t let you eat a poisoned apple!” Mal hissed, leaning forward. To anyone else, she’d seem intimidating, but unfortunately she lost the ability to intimidate the others ages ago. 

Evie rolled her eyes. “It's only a little poisoned. The effects wear off after like an hour, I just need to know if the antidote works or not.” 

“The phrase ‘it's only a little poisoned’ is not super comforting.” Carlos said, working on a bundle of wires in his hands. He always needed to be doing something, otherwise he struggled to focus. 

He’d explained it one day, saying they called it ‘adhd’ in Auradon. Or, he thought that's what it was, at least. He technically couldn't be sure unless a doctor checked him, which would never happen. He’d mentioned a few other things he thought she and the other two might have, dyslexia for Jay, autism for Evie, adhd again for her, and probably ptsd for everyone on the Isle. It wasn’t all that useful, but at least they had names for stuff and could research ways to get past it. He’s said he wasn’t sure if any of the diagnoses were correct, but they all assured him that he was probably right. 

Evie flipped him off, the movement pulling Mal from her thoughts. 

“I need to know.” She insisted again. “I just need you guys to defend me so I don’t get murdered.” 

“Why do you need to know?! How could this possibly be useful?” Mal asked, frustration raising her voice against her will. 

Evie looked at her, then sighed, deflating slightly, playing with her hair. “It’s the sleeping death poison.” The other three shared a look, Carlos stopping the movements of his hands. 

“The one from your mom’s story?” Jay asked softly, already knowing the answer. 

“Yeah.” Evie took a breath. “Under the sleeping death, you’re trapped between life and death. You can’t die under it, because you’re already half dead. But, if we were able to put ourselves in and out of it at will…. Well, it could be pretty useful, right?“ She shrugged, biting her lip. 

Carlos nodded. “Yeah, like someone is about to bleed out, they bite an apple, and then wake up after its already sewn up?” 

Evie nodded, sending him a slightly strained, but still genuine, smile. 

Mal sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Jesus E, why didn’t you start with that.” Evie’s smile faltered. 

“I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, in case the antidote didn’t work. This is only a diluted form of the poison, it won't last longer than an hour, two at most. But if we don’t have an antidote for the real thing, then there's no point in using it.” She gave a small shrug, pulling in on herself. The other three shared a look. 

“I’m sure it’ll work.” Carlos said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. She gave him a quick smile, squeezing back. 

“Okay.” She laughed nervously, pulling out a vial and a perfect red apple. It definitely didn’t get to the Isle so pristine, looking almost like it was made of plastic. Though it’s color was a lot lighter than what was described in Grimhilde’s fairytale, a pale almost-pink instead of blood red.

Evie handed the vial to Mal, closing the other girl’s fingers around it, then laid down to pillow her head on Jay’s lap. Mal and Carlos shifted closer, each taking up on of her sides. 

“After I take a bite, wait a few minutes for it to fully put me under, then place two drops on my tongue. I should wake up right away if it works, if it doesn't I'll wake up on my own before sunset. Okay?” Mal nodded, smile tight. She trusted Evie with her own life, but the thought of the girl trapped in an eternal slumber was terrifying. 

Evie gave her one last smile, moving her eyes to glance at both of the boys, then bit the apple. Her eyelids immediately drooped, her shoulders slumping in pure exhaustion. Jay pet her hair as she almost immediately dozed off, Carlos holding her hand. Mal gripped the vial in her fist, counting the minutes in her mind, knuckles white. 

She wondered if this was how Snow White looked when she had been poisoned. If Snow’s prince felt like this, fear curling in his stomach, terror at the possibility of losing someone you love, then she could understand why he’d locked Grimhildide on the island. (Not that she’d ever forgive the prince or princess for leaving Evie there. She was so much brighter than this wretched place, deserve so much more. So did Jay and Carlos and every other Vk.)

They waited nearly thirty minutes, Mal unwilling to rush the experiment and force them to do it again. After she felt enough time had passed she moved closer to Jay, dripping the antidote into Evie’s mouth. 

The three waited with held breath, but Evie didn’t wake up. Jay swore loudly, carefully moving Evie to Carlos’s lap with tense shoulders. He stood, pacing by the door and cursing in Arabic under his breath. Mal watched him, tracking the boy’s rhythmic movements with her eyes. Carlos was tense beside her, repeating the periodic table again and again as he played with his knife. 

Mal forced herself to stay still, going between watching Jay and staring out the window. It was barely past midday, Evie would be awake soon. It was fine. 

~

-=+=-

~

“Mal.” Carlos called out to her, quiet in the almost silent room. She ignored him, pacing furiously. She glanced up at the window again, anger flaring at the darkness outside. 

“Mal,” Carlos called out again, voice hoarse. “She should have been awake by now.” 

“Don’t you think I know that?!” She rounded on him, hands thrown down by her side. He flinched away from her, a grimace flashing across his face. Jay sent her a look from the couch, eyes stoney. She looked away, clenching her fists, her nails biting into her hands. 

They stood in a tense, stressed silence. Mal felt panic rising in her chest. Evie wasn't waking up. _ Evie wasn't waking up _. She could be stuck like this forever, trapped like her step sister. 

Her step sister. Snow White. 

Mal jolted, drawing the other’s attention. She took two slow steps to Carlos, crouching beside him. He looked at her, confusion glinting in his eyes, but she ignored him, staring down at Evie’s sleeping face. She was so beautiful, more so than any Auradon princess could ever hope to be, despite what her mother said. 

Mal leaned down, pressing her lips to Evie’s forehead. 

“Oh.” Carlos breathed above her, eyes wide. 

Mal sat up, face flaming. “You two. Go.” 

Carlos flushed even brighter than her, something she’d tease him mercilessly for at any other time. But he too leaned down, pecking Evie’s cheek. Mal’s gaze tilted up to Jay, the boy’s face tight with apprehension. 

“Jay?” She asked softly. His eyes met hers, and she could see the fear there. She held his gaze, pleading with him silently. He nodded, sliding down to join them on the floor. 

He took a breath, closing his eyes, leaning down to kiss Evie’s cheek like Carlos had. He sat up hurriedly, biting his lip. 

The three stared down at Evie, waiting for the reaction they expected before. Evie’s eye twitched, the first movement she’d made since biting the apple. Mal felt relief flood her chest, her face breaking out into a grin. 

Evie blinked rapidly, eyelashes fluttering as she woke. Mal let a laugh bubble past her lips, leaning down to grab Evie’s hand and pull her up. 

“Did it work…?” Evie asked, her eyes hazy with sleep. The other three shared a look, breaking into almost hysterical laughter. Evie frowned at them, confused. 

“About that…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please comment..... also come say hi on tumblr or commission me i'm @idk-my-aesthetic 
> 
> also also i'm gonna post the second half of this chap soon, it's gonna have like mal saving uma's life and stuff....


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